Agnetha Faltskog called a recluse after terror landing stopped her flying

London: Abba`s Agnetha Faltsko has revealed about the crippling flying phobia that is partly to blame for reputation for being a recluse, a tag that she is desperate to shake off.

In a rare and exclusive interview with The Sun, the singer said that her phobia started when she and her bandmates - Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Anni-Frid Lyngstad - were touring the States in 1979, the Sun reported

They were on board a jet that once belonged to billionaire aviator Howard Hughes and it was running out of fuel on its way to Boston from New York.

They then hit a TORNADO and had to make an emergency landing in Manchester, New Hampshire.

The pilot failed to land at the first attempt but then they landed at the second try, the 63-year-old recalled.

Following this incident Agnetha would not set foot on a plane for a long time and she still has therapy to cope with her phobia.

For so many years, she said she did not company her bandmates on tours and because of this she was called the recluse.

The singer added she had to have therapy for her fear and it`s getting better. She said that she could now fly for two or three hours but no more.

After Abba`s last performance, in 1982, Agnetha moved to the island of Ekero and was rarely seen or pictured for 25 years. Even when she released solo albums there were no interviews or tours.

But she has now traveled to London to promote A, her first solo album in nine years (which is released on Monday).

She asserted that she`s feeling very nervous to be releasing an album after all this time.